CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — What began as allegations of misconduct during a December 2025 police licensing exam at Southeast Missouri State University has developed into a controversy involving criminal charges against a former university police chief, seven recalled peace officer licenses and sweeping changes to the university’s law enforcement academy.
Former SEMO Police Chief Dr. Richard “Rich” Flotron faces two felony counts of forgery and two misdemeanor charges involving violations of Missouri’s laws governing the police licensing exam.
Prosecutors allege Flotron submitted examinations on behalf of two cadets and altered answers on examinations belonging to two others during the December 9, 2025, Missouri Peace Officer License Exam.
Flotron has denied providing test answers to students and told investigators he did not recall submitting cadets’ exams. He pleaded not guilty to all four charges on October 20, 2026, according to KFVS12.
The criminal allegations have also raised questions about how the examination was administered, whether cadets were treated fairly and what safeguards were in place to protect the integrity of Missouri’s police licensing process.
Cadets Say They Followed Instructions
While the criminal case centers on Flotron’s alleged conduct, several academy graduates have disputed accusations that they cheated on the licensing examination.
In a May investigation, KFVS12 interviewed four cadets from the December 2025 class, including three who had lost their peace officer licenses. All four denied cheating.
According to the cadets, instructors directed students to bring their computers forward after completing the examination so their results could be submitted in front of an instructor.
One graduate, identified by KFVS12 as Kassidy, alleged Flotron changed two of her exam answers without her permission. She said she subsequently lost her peace officer license, her academy credits and her job.
The cadets’ descriptions raised questions about whether the examination procedures themselves violated state requirements.
When asked about the process, a Missouri Department of Public Safety spokesperson told KFVS12 that examination results must be submitted by the authorized test-taker and that instructors or proctors are not permitted to view any portion of the exam.
The cadets’ accounts remain allegations and do not establish the circumstances of every examination or licensing decision.
SEMO has defended its investigation, saying an independent review produced evidence supporting the disciplinary recommendations made to the university.
Missouri Recalls Seven Police Licenses
On May 14, 2026, the Missouri Department of Public Safety publicly confirmed that seven peace officer licenses issued following the December academy class had been recalled.
The decision followed a noncriminal administrative investigation by Missouri’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) program.
Under Missouri regulations, the DPS director may recall a license issued through fraud, misrepresentation or mistake to someone not qualified to receive it.
The recalls had immediate consequences for affected graduates, including some who had already begun careers in law enforcement.
However, the state’s announcement did not publicly establish that each of the seven cadets personally cheated on the examination.
The distinction is significant because the allegations against Flotron include unauthorized actions involving cadets’ examinations.
Missouri DPS has said state confidentiality laws restrict what it can disclose about individual licensees, applicants and ongoing investigations.
The department’s official May 14 announcement confirmed both the seven license recalls and a separate criminal investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Allegations Trigger Investigations and Leadership Changes
Public concerns about the academy emerged in January 2026, when Cape Girardeau Police Chief Adam Glueck suspended his department’s officers from teaching at the SEMO academy amid allegations of examination misconduct.
The situation escalated over the following months.
In April, SEMO replaced academy director Dane Stausing and placed Dr. Brian Donavant in charge of academy oversight. The university has not publicly provided a detailed explanation of Stausing’s departure.
Meanwhile, Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Welker requested a criminal investigation into the examination’s administration.
On June 17, prosecutors announced four criminal charges against Flotron. Southeast Missouri State University terminated his employment that same day.
Flotron also lost his law enforcement commission. That action is separate from his state peace officer license, which Missouri DPS reported was still valid at the time of the June charges.
The criminal case continued into the fall. Flotron waived his preliminary hearing on October 1 and entered a not-guilty plea in circuit court on October 20.
The charges are allegations, and Flotron is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
SEMO Implements New Testing Safeguards
University officials have acknowledged that the controversy damaged confidence in the academy and have announced changes intended to strengthen examination security.
In a May 29 university statement, SEMO President Dr. Brad Hodson outlined steps taken after the allegations surfaced.
The university moved administration of the state licensing exam from academy classrooms to its professional Testing Services Center, which is accredited by the National College Testing Association.
Other academy examinations were moved to third-party or online testing platforms rather than traditional classroom proctoring.
SEMO also hired the national law firm Husch Blackwell to conduct an independent investigation into the allegations involving instructors and students.
According to the university, the investigation’s findings were shared with Missouri DPS, and SEMO followed the department’s recommendations concerning student conduct and personnel decisions.
Oversight of the academy was transferred to the university’s Department of Criminal Justice, Social Work and Sociology, chaired by Donavant, a longtime law enforcement veteran.
The university has said its spring 2026 academy class graduated on schedule and that the program continued accepting applications for subsequent classes.
Questions Remain for Cadets and the Community
Although criminal charges have been filed and new testing procedures introduced, several questions remain unanswered publicly.
The full findings of SEMO’s independent investigation have not been released in detail. State confidentiality restrictions also limit public access to information explaining the individual licensing decisions.
For the seven graduates whose licenses were recalled, the consequences extend beyond an examination score. Some have reported losing employment opportunities, academy credits and the ability to continue careers they had spent months preparing for.
Their accounts also raise a difficult question: What responsibility do cadets bear when an examination is allegedly administered in a manner that conflicts with state testing requirements?
At the same time, the criminal proceedings against Flotron must determine whether prosecutors can prove the alleged misconduct.
For Southeast Missouri State University, the challenge is restoring trust in a program responsible for preparing future law enforcement officers throughout the region.
The changes to testing procedures represent one response. Whether they will fully restore confidence among cadets, police departments and the public remains to be seen.